GEORGE YOAKUM & ISAAC VANBEBBER,
Early Settlers of Claiborne County, Tennessee

As you will see from the
following there are different opinions on the formations of YOAKUM's FORT, first
in Va and latter in the Powell Valley section of what is now Claiborne Co.,
Tn.

Written by FRANKLIN YOAKUM (born 1819),
son of GEORGE YOAKUM and Mary Ann Maddy, and given to him by his father GEORGE
YOAKUM I - now the property of CHARLES H. YOAKUM, of Los Angeles,
Calif.

The YOAKUMs emigrated to America with
the first Dutch settlers on the Island of Manhattan, the present site of New
York City. They were of Welsh extraction. In the Welsh language the original
name was so uncouth and knotty that our fathers of three or four hundred years
ago agreed to have it changed into "IUGUM", or "JAGUM",
which is the Latin term for "YOKE". A short time under the influence
of their English neighbors, it was again changed into "YOCUM" and
finally "YOAKUM." The given names of the YOAKUMs in the City of New
York are not known, but Valentine, a son of one of them, moved to South Potomac
on Potomac on Peach Creek. After he married, VALENTINE YOAKUM (1721), youngest
of seven sons, moved to Muddy Creek, Greenbrier County, Va., and settled
YOAKUM's STATION (1771), now Powell Valley, Claiborne Co. Tennessee. He was
there tomahawked by a Shawnee Indian. With him were his wife and children - all
killed but young George, who was swift of foot and of great strength, killing
three Indians with a frying pan handle, which he jerked from one as he passed
through. He was afterwards in the Battle of Point Pleasant. At 25 years of age
he married the daughter of ISAAC VAN BIBBER, who fell in that battle. GEORGE
YOAKUM I. continued to live at Muddy Creek, Va., until he became father of three
sons, the youngest of whom was George II, when they moved to Powell's
Valley.

ISAAC VANBEBBER

Born ca. 1740, Russell Co.
Va.

The following account comes from
Claiborne Co. Historical Societies ,Reflections, Spring Edition 1995 and was
written by, STEVE SMITH and EARL QUINTRELL.

The first YOAKUM FORT / STATION -
actually, there were at least three that have been documented and there may very
well have been four - was situated about two miles from Dryden, on the Powell
River, in Russell County, now Lee County, Va. It is named in Calendar of VA
State Papers, Vol, IV Pages 357/376. This station was built after about 1783.
The second YOAKUM FORT/STATION was situated in the Valley of the Powell River,
in what is now Speedwell, Claiborne, Co., TN. This station is about 65-70 miles
further down the Powell River, from the first station. this stations was formed
about 1797. Most of the research located in the Claiborne County area center
around the GEORGE YOAKUM in the Powell Valley area of Claiborne
Co.

1787 and 1788 , Lower District of Russell
Co., Early, VA, Tax Records; JOHN VAN BEBBER, PETER VAN BEBBER, and GEORGE
YOAKUM each paid taxes for one tithable over age 21.

1789-1793, Lower district of Russell
Co., Early Va. Tax Records: JOHN VAN BEBBER, PETER VAN BEBBER, JAMES VAN BEBBER,
and GEORGE YOAKUM, all paid taxes for one tithable over
21.

Aug. 1792-Dec. 1793 , Russell Co., Va.
The Governor of Va directed the Commander of Washington Co, Va, to draft 25 men
and send them ot Powell Valley for relief. GEORGE YOAKUM, Private, was one who
served. Also, JAMES VAN BEBBER, Private was one who
served.

1792, Oct 25 - GEORGE YOAKUM and JOHN,
PETER and JAMES VAN BEBBER, and several other, signed a petition to divide
Russell Co., Va, into Russell and Lee Counties.

1795-, Lee County, Va. Personal Property
and Land Book, PETER VAN BEBBER, and JAMES VAN BEBBER paid tax for one white
male over age 16. GEORGE YOAKUM paid tax for two white males over age 16. Who
was the second white male? This may have been ISAAC YOAKUM born Feb 23, 1778
from YOAKUM Cemetery tombstone.

1796, 13 June - Lee Co., Va. Deed Book
#1, Pages 259-260. GEORGE YOAKUM and his wife, PATTY, of Lee County, sold land
in Lee County to JOSEPH SPENCER. Three hundred acres situated on the south side
of the Powell River were sold for 160 pounds.

1797 - Grainger Co., Tn, Court Minute
Book #1, Pg. 12. JOHN VAN BEBBER and GEORGE YOAKUM, among others, were appointed
by the Court to be a jury of view for a road the nearest and best way from
TURNER's FERRY on the Holston River to the YOAKUM STATION in Powell Valley. This
would later become, 1801, Claiborne Co., Tn.

1797, Oct 1 - The Church minutes of the
Baptist Church of Jesus Christ at Davis Creek shows PETER and JOHN VAN BEBBER,
and GEORGE YOAKUM, Petioners for the organization of the Davis Creek
Church.

1798, Sept. 11 , - Lee County, Va., Deed
Book #1, Pages 159-160. GEORGE YOAKUM and PATSY, his wife, of Hawkins Co., Tn,
sold to ENOS SOUTHERLAND, of Lee Co., 52 acres of land in Lee County situated on
the south side of Powell's River for the sum of 40 pounds.

1798, Sept. 11 - Lee County, Va, Deed
Book #1, Pg 179. GEORGE YOAKUM, and PATSY, his wife of Hawkins Co., Tn, sold to
JAMES HOOF of Lee County 100 acres of land for 40 pounds. The lad was on the
South side of the Powell River. This is conjectured by the authors that GEORGE
and MARTHA or MARGARET YOAKUM have divested themselves of their land holdings in
Lee, Co., Va and have moved further down the Valley of the Powell river, where
they have established a second YOAKUM FORT/STATION.

1799 - Granger Co.,Tn. Early Tax
Records. JOHN VAN BEBBER was ordered by the Court to take a list of taxable
property in the bound of Captain WILLIAM BOWMAN's Company. Among those on the
list are: JOHN, PETER and JAMES VAN BEBBER; and GEORGE YOAKUM. GEORGE YOAKUM
paid taxes on two white males over the age of 21 years. One of these obviously
was George, himself.

1799 - Graniger Co. Tax List. There is a
series of Early Tennessee Tax Records compiled by Byron and Barbara Sistler that
they found in the Tennessee State Archives, Nashville. The following YOAKUMs
appear on the Tax List from Grainger Co. ISAAC YOAKUM, JOHN YOAKUM, VALENTINE
YEOKUM, GEORGE YOAKUM.

1800 May 3 - Minutes of the Davis Creek
Church, Grainger Co., GEORGE YOAKUM and SAMUEL WEAVER were asked to inquire of
PETER VAN BEBBER concerning his non-attendance of Church.

1800 - June 7 - Minutes of the Davis
Creek Church, Grainger Co., GEORGE YOAKUM reports to the Church that PETER VAN
BEBBER did not attend the Church because he did not like the
preaching.

1800 May 18, Grainger County, Tn, Court
Minutes Book 1 pg. 174-175. At a Court begun and held in and for the County of
Grainger, at the Court House in Rutledge, on the Third Monday
in

May 1801 - it is being the 18th day of
said month - ordered that Martha YOAKUM and ISAAC YOAKUM have the right to
Administration of the estate of GEORGE YOAKUM, deceased, who have JOHN VAN
BEBBER and ROBERT HOWARD their Securities in the Sum of $500 and were qualified
accordingly. Let Letter of Administration issue.

1803 - Grainger Co., Tn. ISAAC YOAKUM,
JOHN YOAKUM, and VALENTINE YOAKUM all appear on a petition to the Tennessee
State Legislature. Unfortunately, the reason for the petition is not given in
reference - pgs 69 - 70, "Early Tax Lists for Tennessee", by Mary
Barnett Curtis.

1803, June 8 - Claiborne Co., Tn.
Claiborne Co., Court Minutes Book #1, June Term of court, Pg. 136. Case in court
- ISAAC YOAKUM and MARTHY YOAKUM, vs. ARTHUR MARKUM and GEORGE HOVER ordered by
the Court that Sheriff JOHN HUNT be fined $125 for an unlawful return on the
writ in this suit.

1805 - 1807 - Claiborne Co. Court
Minutes. ISAAC YOAKUM appears many times on Jury lists of the County
Court;

1807, August 20
- Claiborne Co., Deed
Book Pg. 95. Also Deed Book A. pg. 89. JOHN VANBEBBER of Claiborne Co. sold 212
and two quarters and 36 poles of land to ISAAC YOAKUM for $525. the land was in
Powell Valley in the RICHARD HENDERSON and CO. Greater Powell Valley Survey, in
Lot B, which by subdivision fell to Col. THOMAS HART and by him conveyed to JOHN
and PETER VAN BEBBER. Col. THOMAS HART and by him conveyed to JOHN and PETER VAN
BEBBER.